Drain back valve



May 16, 1967 N. M. ANDERSON DRAIN BACK VALVE Filed July 25, 1966 n IVENTOR. N0; M1 ANDERSON ATTOQNEK United States Patent 3,319,928 DRAIN BACK VALVE Noel M. Anderson, P.0. Box 392, Storm Lake, Iowa 50538 Filed July 25, 1966, Ser. No. 567,496 11 Claims. (Cl. 251-445) This invention relates to drain valves and more particularly to a novel valved drain plug for use in draining the standing water above the pump unit in the draw pipe of a submersible pump assembly, and is a continuation-inpart of my co-pending application under the same title as above, Ser. No. 376,506, filed June 19, 1964.

In the use of submersible pumping apparatus it is necessary from time to time to pull the pump for servicing and repair or replacement and in this regard it will be appreciated that the operating position of the pump unit may be at a substantial depth below the ground surface, such as several hundred feet, so that there will be a considerable length of draw pipe from the pump to the surface. Such piping will usually be in suitable standard lengths coupled together which are uncoupled as the pump is pulled toward the surface. One of the problems encountered in pulling such a pump unit relates to the fact that the draw pipe is always full of water with the result that as pipe sections are successively uncoupled, the water in such sections pours out usually to the discomfort and inconvenience of those working at the site. It is accordingly the principal object of this invention to provide a novel valving means which will permit the draining off of such water from the draw pipe before it is uncoupled and thereby avoid the cascading of water over the working site and the attendant personnel.

A further important object contemplated herein is the provision of a valved drain plug in the lower end of the i draw pipe of a submersible pump assembly that may be effectively actuated from the surface level to open a drain hole in the pipe while the pump assembly is at a subsurface location.

Still another object herein includes the provision of a drain hole closure means at the bottom of a draw pipe in a submersible pump assembly which can be acted upon from within the pipe for opening a drain outlet. In this regard the present invention contemplates preferably the use of a spring loaded valved drain plug which can be wedged or biased to open position by contact from a weight dropped into the pipe or by manipulation with a suitable tool under certain circumstances.

Another important object herein is the provision of a drain back valve of the above class which has a universally movable valve stem so that it requires no orientation relative to any reference point for purposes of proper functioning.

A further object herein is to provide a valve as characterized which can be installed on the pressure side of a jet pump installation without affecting its ease of operation.

A still further object is to provide such a valve with means to limit its movement and thus avoid the possibilities of it becoming jammed in the pipe.

To attain these objects and such further objects as may appear herein, or be hereinafter pointed out, reference is made to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of this new valved drain plug,

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of this plug with portions of the housing cut away to more clearly illustrate the construction thereof,

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of this plug shown in closed position and mounted in a T joint in the water pipe of a submersible pump assembly.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 3 showing the valve wedged or biased to open position as a result of contact by a weight dropped into the water pipe,

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 55, and

FIG. 6 is a schematic view of a submersible pump assembly shown relative to a well casing and ground level and illustrating the relative location of this new drain back valve.

Referring to the drawings, FIG. 6 illustrates schematically a submersible pump assembly which includes generally a well casing 10 shown in relation to ground level 12, a submersible pump unit 14 of any suitable type, and a draw pipe 16 connected to pump 14 and extending through the casing 10 so as to emerge from the well cap 13 in a well-known manner. It will be appreciated that pump 14 may be a substantial distance below ground level 12 and thus pipe 16 may consist of a plurality of sections 16a suitably joined by the coupling members 20.

In the use of pump 14, the draw pipe 16 remains filled with water 22 at all times as shown in FIG. 6 and even a relatively high level 23 of water will be in casing 10. Consequently, from time to time when pump 14 is pulled to the surface for repair or replacement, water 22 in pipe 16 will pour out of pipe sections 16a as they are uncoupled as previously pointed out. Accordingly, the invention which is described hereinafter is designed to afford a simple and efiicient means for draining the standing water in pipe 16 so that it will be free of such water as sections 16a are uncoupled when pulling the pump 14.

My new valved drain plug is shown in FIG. 1 and is designated generally by the numeral 24. Plug 24 includes a short cylindrical plug-like body 26, externally threaded as at 28, an integral multi-sided end or face 30 on the outer or front side of body 26 for gripping by a Wrench or the like and an axial passageway or drain hole 32 extending through both body 26 and member 30. The inner end 34 of passageway 32 is preferably recessed (FIG. 2) relative to plug end 36 although this is not necessarily required, and passageway 32 terminates in the beveled valve seat 38 in end 34. Operable relative to valve seat 38 is elongated valve or closure member 40 (FIG. 2) which includes a short cylindrical body portion 42 having a tapered or bevelved valve end 44 which is adapted to carry an O ring 46 for sealing engagement with seat 38 as shown. The opposite end 48 of body 42 is suitably formed to provide the integral axially projecting elongated shank or arm 50 which is preferably cylindrical in shape and smaller in diameter than body 42 as best seen in FIG. 2 and which terminates in the disc-like flange 51 that is concentrically larger than arm 50.

Valve end 44 of the body 42 is provided with a recess 52 to receive one end portion of an elongated coil spring 54, and the bottom of recess 52 is tapped 56 to receive a screw 58 for securing spring 54. In this regard, it will be understood that the end convolution 60 of spring 54 is formed to define an eye for engagement by the head 62 of screw 58.

The other end of spring 54 terminates in an eye 64, and with member 40 thus constructed as seen in FIG. 2, spring 54 is inserted into passageway 32 from end 34 where it will initially be somewhat short of projecting from end 30. However, by engaging eye 64 with a suitable small rod or screw driver, it is extended beyond face 30 where a pin or key 66 can be passed through the eye 64 to abut face 30 and hold spring 64 under tension so that valve end 44 is securely seated on seat 38. In this position, closure 40 can be rocked in any direction out of sealing engagement with seat 38 and thus it need not be oriented to any position or reference point relative to plug 24.

Plug 24 as described is designed to be threada'bly engaged into a T joint 68 which is interposed in the draw pipe 16 closely adjacent and above the pump unit 14 as shown in FIG. 6, it being understood that such joint and plug can be put in place prior to lowering the pump in the casing.

Plug 24 is tightly threaded into joint 68 and because member 40 is universally movable against spring 54, such member 40 will be in operable position at whatever point the turning of plug 24 is stopped. In this position member 40 may be moved as illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5 for opening the drain hole 32 and for this purpose we preferably use a weight means 70 which may be dropped into pipe 16 from surface level to act against arm 50. Ohviously, member 40 may also be moved by any suitable tool such as a long rod (not shown) but this will generally not be practical because of the depth of plug 24 below ground level 12 as will be readily apparent.

Weight 70 may be in any suitable form and a preferred type as shown in FIG. 4 includes a length of rod material which is provided with a tapered pointed end portion 72. Weight 70 is dropped lengthwise into pipe 16 and is slightly smaller in diameter than the diameter of pipe 16 so that it will in effect wobble itself downwardly so that the end portion 72 becomes wedged between arm 50 and the inner wall of T 68 as best seen in FIGS. 4 and 5. The effect of this is not only to depress arm 50 (FIG. 4) but also to bias it laterally (FIG. 5) with the resulting opening of passageway 32. The lateral biasing is an important feature since it effectively opens passageway 32 under circumstances where pressure at the point of T 68 is sometimes sufficient to resist and prevent adequate depression of arm 50. While the size of weight 70 may be relatively small as long as its weight is sulficient for its intended purpose, the diameter thereof should be sufiiciently large relative to the diameter of pipe 16 that it cannot drop past arm 50 but will become wedged as described to assure the opening of the drain hole 32. After pump 14 has been removed, it is apparent that weight 70 can be removed so that plug 24 will return to its normally closed position.

From the foregoing it is brought a full understanding of the construction and operation of this invention will be had and the advantages of the same will be appreciated.

It will be understood that the phraseology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not for limitation and that modifications and changes in the construction and arrangement of this invention can be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit and purpose thereof. It is thus intended to cover by the claims, any modified forms of structure or mechanical equivalents which may be reasonably included within their scope.

I claim:

1. A drain plug for a standing pipe for water or the like, comprising:

a plug member adapted to be removably inserted in the wall of a standing pipe,

said plug member being provided with a through opening to serve as a drain hole communicating at its inner end with the interior of said pipe,

an elongated movable closure member carried by said plug member,

said closure member being pivotally secured at one end to said plug member adjacent the inner end of said drain hole,

said closure member being spring loaded so as to normally close the inner end of said drain hole and to extend into the interior of said pipe transversely of the longitudinal axis thereof, and

means selectively insertible into said standing pipe intermediate said closure member and the interior wall of said standing pipe to bias said closure member to open position relative to said drain hole.

2. A device as defined in claim 1 wherein said closure member is universally movable relative to its longitudinal axis so that movement in any direction will open said drain hole.

3. A device as defined in claim 1 including means on said closure member engageable with the wall .of the standing pipe when said closure member is biased so as to limit the movement of said closure member.

4. A device as defined in claim 3 wherein said meansis a flange on the extended end of said closure member.

5. A device as defined in claim 1 wherein the means insertible into said standing pipe is an elongated pointed end weight dropped into the standing pipe from above said closure member with said pointed end passing between the closure member and wall of the standing pipe so that the larger diameter portion of the weight is wedged between the closure member and wall to bias said closure member to open position.

6. A device as defined in claim 5 wherein the direction of movement of said closure member to open position is transversely of the longitudinal axis of the standing pipe.

7. A device as defined in claim 5 wherein the direction of movement of said closure member to open position is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the standing pipe.

8. A device as defined in claim 5 wherein the direction of movement of said closure member to open position is both downwardly and laterally relative to the longitudinal axis of the standing pipe.

9. A device as defined in claim 5 wherein said closure member is universally movable relative to its longitudinal axis so that movement in any direction will open said drain hole.

10. A device as defined in claim 5 including means on said closure member engageable with the wall of the standing pipe when said closure member is biased so as to limit the movement of said closure member.

11. A device as defined in claim 10 wherein said means is a flange on the extended end of said closure member.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 288,283 ll/l883 Watson 251- 1,364,084 11/1919 Dodds 166-224 2,574,969 11/ 1951 Heidloff 251228 3,045,608 7/1962 Ratterman 103221 3,095,040 6/1963 Bramlett 166-224 M. CARY NELSON, Primary Examiner.

W. R. CLINE, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A DRAIN PLUG FOR A STANDING PIPE FOR WATER OR THE LIKE, COMPRISING: A PLUG MEMBER ADAPTED TO BE REMOVELY INSERTED IN THE WALL OF A STANDING PIPE, SAID PLUG MEMBER BEING PROVIDED WITH A THROUGH OPENING TO SERVE AS A DRAIN HOLE COMMUNICATING AT ITS INNER END WITH THE INTERIOR OF SAID PIPE, AN ELONGATED MOVABLE CLOSURE MEMBER CARRIED BY SAID PLUG MEMBER, SAID CLOSURE MEMBER BEING PIVOTALLY SECURED AT ONE END TO SAID PLUG MEMBER ADJACENT THE INNER END OF SAID DRAIN HOLE, SAID CLOSURE MEMBER BEING SPRING LOADED SO AS TO NORMALLY CLOSE THE INNER END OF SAID DRAIN HOLE AND TO EXTEND INTO THE INTERIOR OF SAID PIPE TRANSVERSELY OF THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS THEREOF, AND MEANS SELECTIVELY INSERTIBLE INTO SAID STANDING PIPE INTERMEDIATE SAID CLOSURE MEMBER AND THE INTERIOR WALL OF SAID STANDING PIPE TO BIAS SAID CLOSURE MEMBER TO OPEN POSITION RELATIVE TO SAID DRAIN HOLE. 